


wounded animal

by antoniohiggins



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, another request fill on tumblr, i gave one of the prompt lines to race lmao whoops it just made sense, the violence in this isn't very graphic but i figured i would warn for it just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 18:38:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antoniohiggins/pseuds/antoniohiggins
Summary: the aftermath of the strike...it gets roughthis is just a little one-shot for @she-loves-me on tumblr and i hope y'all like it;)(prompts: “who did this?”, “it just… hurts.”, and “don’t you dare touch him!”)*warning: this does include violence as well as one character having what could be perceived as a panic attack so if you choose to read, stay safe, if not don't worry at all*





	wounded animal

**Author's Note:**

> title is from the song wounded animal by mary lambert

The worst moment in the lives of every newsie in Manhattan was the second the bulls showed up in newsies square with bats and no mercy. That was the split second that the few dozen kids gathered in the small area knew they no longer had a chance.

He liked to think he kept things under control, that he led his newsies well and knew exactly what was happening, but Jack was a complete mess the moment kids started getting hurt. He couldn’t tell what he was doing, just that he didn’t want it to go on for another second.

Try as they might to keep track of one another, it was nearly impossible. Jack fought until he could no longer bring himself to raise his fists again, climbing to his penthouse on the rooftop of the lodging house.

He couldn’t think. He couldn’t _see. Everything was too much._ He shut his eyes tight and sank to his knees, trying to block out the horrific images he knew he’d never be able to forget.

His kids screaming and cowering when the bulls showed up. Friends being torn apart from each other, only to be forced to watch the other get hurt. Romeo getting smacked with the butt of a baseball bat by one of the bulls they all thought might’ve been there to help them. Jojo getting bashed against the loading dock by the Delancey brothers. Albert getting his arm jacked up trying to push one of their younger kids out of the way of someone. Race getting knocked out in seconds trying to get the weapons away from the Delanceys. Les getting his wrist broken trying to block himself from flying barrels and stacks of papes. Davey trying to protect him by hiding him away in a barrel off to the side, only to end up getting tackled by the bulls and beaten to a pulp. _Davey_.

Jack choked out a sob, clutching his chest as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

Davey didn’t deserve this. Jack was the one who dragged him into this. Davey hardly knew these boys. He didn’t have any reason to sacrifice himself for anyone other than Les, but yet there he was putting himself in front of anyone who needed it. Davey was too good for him. Not that he had him, but if Davey were to care about him in the slightest, Jack wouldn’t deserve it. Jack was the one that started all of this and if Davey ended up paying the price for it, he’d never be able to live with himself.

The strike was supposed to be about keeping them all safe. About making sure each of his kids could still afford to live another day off the streets, not get them all hurt so bad they couldn’t even sell. He left, not because he was scared for himself, but that e couldn’t bear to see any of his kids get hurt over something that was so blatantly his mistake.

He could’ve been up there for hours before anyone came to find him, but no one knew. When he heard the clattering of someone coming up the ladder, he hoped it was Crutchie, he was the only one that really ever did anyway, but he would quickly realize he was wrong. He didn’t want to think about that.

“Jack?” Davey’s shy voice was enough to elicit a response as Jack looked up, horror in his eyes and he curled in on himself. Davey rushed to the boy’s side, kneeling in front of him and holding back from touching him in case Jack wasn’t ready. “Jackie, is it okay for me to touch you?”

The other nodded quickly, relaxing as Davey took his hands and gently eased him out of his curled up position. He felt his heart sink as Jack’s breath hitched, moving to curl back up again.

“It’s okay, I got you. I got you, Jackie,” Davey murmured keeping his voice as quiet as possible.

“Davey?” Jack spoke shakily, finally meeting the other boy’s eyes.  
  
“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay, I promise you.”  
  
Apparently, that wasn’t the right thing to say. Jack’s face went pale and he pulled his hands away from Davey’s, shrinking back in on himself.

“N-no…,” he whimpered, shaking his head roughly, refusing to look up at David. “No, it ain’t okay, Dave.”

Davey moved closer to Jack, making sure he at least knew he was still there even if he couldn’t hold him.

“Jack, you can’t say that,” he started, offering a hand that Jack shakily slipped his own into. They remained on the floor of the rooftop, Davey rubbing circles into the top of Jack’s hand as he eased the boy out of his tears. “There’s no way you could know that. You were incredible out there, Jackie. All those kids out there…they look up to you. You were so brave.”

Davey spoke with pure admiration and authenticity in his voice, but Jack seemed to take none of it.

“No no no,” he stumbled out. “They…he…Crutchie, h-he…”

Davey looked down at their intertwined hands, noticing how Jack’s would not stop trembling.

“Oh god,” he managed, knowing that probably didn’t help Jack, but he could barely control the words coming out of his mouth. “They didn’t…”

Jack just nodded, a painful sob cutting through his voice.

“He’s gone Dave,” Jack whimpered, clutching Davey’s hand so tightly the latter was sure he could break his fingers if he wanted to, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head and just knew Jack really needed him to be there. “T-they…they took him from me.”

Davey just couldn’t watch him do this. Jack was breaking down in front of him and no matter how he tried, he just had no idea what to do.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. It’s okay Jackie, he’s gonna’ be fine,” Davey rattled off, trying to find the best way to phrase what he knew was tearing Jack apart. “Just breathe, okay? Look at me, follow my lead, in for five, out for seven.”

Jack took shaky breaths in and out as Davey gently helped him to his feet.

“ **It just…hurts** ,” Jack sobbed, standing on his toes as he clung to Davey’s torso, wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders.

“I know,” Davey spoke soothingly, tears pricking at the corners of his own eyes. “I know it hurts Jackie, but we’ll get him back. I promise I’ll do anything I can to get him back to you, okay?”

Jack nodded into Davey’s shoulder and squeezed him tightly before hesitantly pulling away.

“I…I need ta’ make sure the others is okay,” he mumbled, stepping around Davey, who only rushed downstairs right after him, keeping a hand on the small of the other boy’s back just in case.

“Do you think there would still be guys down at the circulation gates?” Davey asked nervously, the two boys walking side by side down the backstreets until they could hear the horrible shouts. “Oh god.”

Jack shuddered, leaning into Davey slightly as they turned the corner. There were newsies everywhere. Race, now conscious apparently, was running back and forth between kids everywhere, wrapping Albert’s likely-broken wrist with some nearby discarded canvas bags, cleaning a cut across Henry’s forehead, and the moment he saw Jack and Davey he led a terrified Les over to his brother.

“Jack, I dunno’ how ta’ say this, but-“

“I know, Racer. You don’t gotta say anythin’, just…thank you,” he mumbled, wrapping his arms around his body as the other nodded, returning to help one of the youngest kids bandage up a scraped knee.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” David asked Les for what had probably already been a dozen times. “I’ll get mom and dad to take you to see a doctor, but you should go on home. Jack and I have a lot to do and I don’t want you mixed up in all of this.”

Les groaned, but nodded, squirming in his makeshift sling before heading off down the street.

“He gonna’ be okay?” Jack looked up at Davey nervously, the guilt of getting their family into this eating him alive.

“Yeah, don’t worry about him, Jackie. He’ll be fine,” Davey reassured, pulling the boy close as he held him tightly. “It’s you I’m more worried about.”

Jack just sighed and pulled away from Davey’s embrace, leaving the other wondering what he had done wrong.

“Jack?”

“Just…don’t, Dave. I ain’t worth your worry, we’s got plenty more kids that need it more than me,” he spoke sadly, looking around at all of the kids still hurting around them.

“Jackie, you can’t possibly think you don’t-“

“Oh, I can’t? Really, ‘cause it was pretty easy for me ta’ realize I ain’t worth shit compared ta’ all of you’s. I jus’ keep ruining everythin’ and now…the rest a’ you’s is payin’ the price for it! First Charlie, and Les, and all a’ these kids that ain’t got no one but us ta’ take care of ‘em! I can’t keep doin’ this ta’ people, Dave,” Jack cried, stepping backwards every time Davey made a movement to comfort him. He really wasn’t having any of it. “Don’t try ta’ tell me I ain’t the cause a’ all this, I know.”

Davey stood horrified, watching the boy he cared more about than anything break into pieces right in front of him.

He stepped forward, his hands as gentle as he could manage as he kept his eyes on Jack, trying to convey any sense of security he could. The problem was, his little problem of never being able to tear his eyes away from Jack’s made it very hard to notice whoever Jack just backed into.

“Ahh, I see they’s back fo’ more,” an unmistakable voice sneered from behind the boy, his brother joining them as well and making Jack’s blood run cold. “Morris, I thought they’s was done, but I guess you’s gonna get a go at Kelly afta’ all.”

“No!” Davey shouted, judging forward before Oscar left Jack with Morris and gripped his shoulders. “Leave him alone!”

Morris simply paid no attention to Davey pleading and instead dragged his brass knuckles across Jack’s cheek. The state of that poor boy was unbelievable.

“Please, do what ya’ want ta’ me, jus’ please…don’t hurt him,” Jack whimpered, Davey trying desperately to meet his eyes. He was horrified. There was no way in hell he would let Jack take the fall for this. He had been hurt enough already that day to last someone an entire lifetime. That definitely peaked the brothers' interests. 

“Jack, don’t,” Davey started.

“ **No! Don’t you _dare_ touch him**!” Jack practically wailed as Oscar pinned his arms behind his back.

Davey groaned and inhaled sharply as a fist connected with his stomach. He coughed repeatedly, struggling to free his arms from the boy’s grasp, but to no avail. Jack was screaming, kicking and shaking against Morris, running his voice dry trying to get to him.

It was as if they were beating Jack to a pulp instead. He was sobbing, screaming as much as he possibly could. Davey simply took it, knowing he had made it out of the strike better than most, and tried to block out the pain to the best of his limited ability.

Jack was making that _extremely_ difficult.

His voice was ringing through Davey’s ears and every scream was far more painful than any time that Oscar’s fist connected with his body. He just wanted it to stop. For Oscar to stop. For Jack to stop crying and screaming and _hurting._

And it did, later than both of them would’ve liked, but it stopped and Davey sank to his knees as Oscar dropped him to the ground, bored of his new punching bag. Morris reciprocated, letting go of Jack’s arms as the boy flew to his friend’s side.

“Dave? Davey, oh my god I’s so sorry,” Jack sobbed, kneeling in front of the other’s broken form. Davey craned his head up to look at him and the moment their eyes met, he collapsed against Jack’s chest. The latter held him tightly, running his hands gently up and down Davey’s back. “It’s okay, you’s gonna’ be okay. I got ya’.”

Davey nodded weakly, accepting Jack’s hand as he helped him to his feet.

“I’s gonna’ get you back to Race at tha’ lodging house n’ then I’ll take ya’ back to ya’ folks, don’t worry,” he assured, clearing away any confusion or concerns that Davey had yet to voice.

They hardly spoke as the two slowly made their way back to the lodging house. It wasn’t more than a few streets away, but each step felt like hell for Davey. Still, they were making good progress, with Jack stopping every literal minute to ask Davey over and over again if he was okay.

“I’ll be fine Jackie, worrying yourself sick isn’t going to help anything,” Davey sighed, nonetheless blushing a little at the other boy’s concern.

“I know, I’s just worried ‘bout you’s is all. I don’t know what I’d do without ya’,” Jack smiled sadly, keeping his grip on Davey’s middle firm and secure. The fear in his voice was heartbreaking.

“Then I won’t be going anywhere,” Davey finished, glancing down at Jack beside him with a matching small grin. The way the slight twinkle reappeared in Jack’s eyes was enough to make Davey swoon.

Just as they made it to the steps of the lodging house, the door swung open and standing there startled, was Race. Sweat, dirt, and blood covered his entire face and body, but he was practically off running again when he grabbed onto the doorframe to stop himself.

“What the hell? **Who did this?** ” He panicked immediately, bounding down the steps and giving Davey a once-over. For someone that had been running back and forth carrying kids back from the circulation gates all morning, he sure didn’t miss a beat.

“Delanceys,” Jack stated simply, a significant sourness in his voice that Davey definitely wasn’t surprised about.

“Well, shit, we’s still got a whole lot a’ kids that ain’t able ta’ make it back on they’s own, but I can stay n’ clean ya’ up if ya’ want?” Race shrugged guiltily, stepping back inside the house as the other two boys followed.

“Nah, keep doin’ ya’ thing, Racer. I got ‘im,” Jack smiled shyly, as Race tipped his hat and dashed back out the door.

“Perfect, I thought I was going to have to beg you to stay instead,” Davey joked as Jack led him to their one bathroom and sat the boy down on the sink counter. “Don’t get me wrong, that kid’s a genius when it comes to cleaning kids up from a fight, but knowing it comes from years of his personal experience isn’t too comforting.”

Jack chuckled, momentarily making Davey forget everything that was hurting because that very sound was just so _goddamn_ _beautiful_ and nothing else mattered. They both smiled, their gazes meeting for just a moment before they both quickly looked away, blushing.

He took one of Davey’s hands in his own, running a damp cloth over the boy’s bleeding knuckles, before shakily slotting their hands together. Davey looked up, a surprised sense of relief flooding across his face as he pulled the usually-shorter boy closer and gently kissed his forehead.

“Thanks Jackie,” Davey mumbled, unable to keep the smile off of his face.

“We’s gonna’ be okay,” Jack spoke softly, and this time, he actually believed it.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks as always for reading! sorry i've been a little slow with updates lately, but i have a lot of stuff in the works and i'm in orlando for the weekend so i'm hopefully going to get at least one other one-shot posted by the end of the week!
> 
> kudos and comments make my day:) if you want me to fill a request just like this, you can message me on tumblr @tony-higgins!


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